For most people, it’s easy enough to start playing an FPS (first person shooter) and hit the ground running. Any old brute can get used to a certain gun, or the trajectory of a grenade, then rush into the chaos of battle and do a fairly good job of it. However, RTS (real time strategy) games take a lot more brainpower, and a careful application of foresight and tact. If you’re more of a general than cannon fodder, here are three amazing strategy games to try.

Civilization VI

Often referred to simply as “Civ Six” this is the latest title in one of the most successful RTS series in history. This 25th anniversary installment of the series carries on the legacy from the previous titles, bringing us a potent, epic soundtrack and beautiful (albeit cartoonish) graphics which will turn your humble gaming desk into an ancient general’s observation post. If you’ve played any of the previous civ titles, you certainly won’t be disappointed by how attentive they’ve been with the gameplay. Having said that, there’s still a few offbeat new innovations, like builders that will expire after three turns, and cities that can be spread over multiple tiles.

Offworld Trading Company

If you’re very experienced with the RTS niche, and you want something that challenges you in a different way, then Offworld Trading Company could be the perfect title for you. While the Civ games are focussed mainly on our history here on earth, Offworld, as you’ve probably guessed, is a sci-fi title, and takes place on our red neighbor: Mars. If you need some action in your strategy games to stay engaged, you may want to give this game a miss. Offworld isn’t focussed so much on sending hordes of monstrous tanks into battle and demolishing bases. Instead, you achieve victory by managing your stocks of weapons, resources and cash in order to manipulate the market and decimate your competitors. You can make alliances and set up benevolent trade agreements, sure. However, if you want your company to survive in this cold and ruthless future where capitalism is everything, you’re going to have to do a little back-stabbing sooner or later!

XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is one of the all-time greats of the strategy genre, and if you enjoyed the previous installments of the series, you’ll have even more fun with this. XCOM 2 manages to combine all the best features from the previous games – the sense of a desperate upheaval, the ragtag band of heroes, the ruthless alien hordes – and improves every last one of them massively! Once again, you play as the commander of six soldiers who you send in to breach a given target. This time, however, it has much more of a guerrilla feel to it, as you play as survivors under the boot of a tyrannical alien dictatorship. The game has a bigger focus on dissidence and sabotage this time around, and even if you’ve never been all that into stealth tactics, I urge you to give this title a try. The whole XCOM fan base has been raving about it!